El Cid even LWM:

You give me such hope and it IS such a good feeling.

After Obama won the Iowa primary, I saw an interview on CNN about Obamas' uncle in Kenya and how prouf they were of him. How the entire village wanted to believe in him-seeing him as one of them-the little guy.

this is not to be underestimated. I understand the skepticism of many, who want to think it is a "flash-in-the-pan" mentality of the young voters-voters who exchanged hula hoops for I-pods. But you can't just write this off as "youth rebelness/rebellion". Look at WHO Obama won over in Iowa-young first-time voters and the 30-44 ages. I think many discount the PR ability as "spin" over actual things like leadership and substance-but it would be naive to do so. This pie-in-the-sky conviction again, is who he is. While others, including myself, have gotten pissed at his unwillingness to give answers in the "accustomed to" 90 second msm format-I'm glad now that he does not. If he said he had all the answers I'd be afraid-but what he says is:"I think I can do it".

That's good enough for me.

I also had worried he would become too focus-goup oriented-too managed, too overburdoned with schedules to be able to keep up the enthusiasm/support he has. But, I, like RMP, think he has chosen well-a wife who will put her foot down at being micomanaged or compromised, value-wise. His daughters adore him, support him-that's easy to see.

I understand Wallstreet neocons who would be scared to death of him. I think they would be wrong to think this. Obama has reached across the aisle-even showing up at Homophobe events like Donnie McClurkins'. But I rather laugh at that rhetoric-becasue I believe Obama thinks himself more able to convince those supporters. And he's usually right too.

So for those who say-well, he converses with the "other side"-I think it's just because he is that confident in his beliefs-no matter what YOU think.

I'm a mid-forty mom. If someone brings up "babyboomer"-I defensively say, "I'm NOT one of them!". Becasue of the bigotry, prejudices I see enslaving this country of this particular age group-I've gotten very defensive and want to label. I'm glad that there are those of you on here-that have given me hope I am wrong about the prejudices I see. You've taught me a lesson about boxes and labels. You prove that daily and I'm glad to learn to be hopeful/more open-minded, from it.

The US military spends more on thier budget for defense than ALL other countries combined.

ALL.

ALL.

ALL other countries.

This while Katrina victims can't get back into thier homes or get financial aid, this while vets can't even get decent healthcare, while the mortgage crisis is in a tailspin, oil prices reached $100,the $ is devalued, jobs are shipped overseas, while there is no oversight of fed agencies to monitor the environment, drugs, or products, this while millions go without healthcare-kids especially...

at some point don't you realize the futitlity of that "a strong defense is NECESSARY" fear-mongering projection by the GOP for what it is.

Our budget for defense SHOULD be comparable to other countries-lest we be accused of imperialism/colonialism. That defense budget should be balanced by the distributrion of a federal budget going to govt. programs.

That budget NOW is overkill, unnecessary and a big reason for ALL of the problems the US is having now-from our world status, to the power-infused rationale used to permit torture, wiretapping...is a direct result of this IMBALACE.

IT alone, perpetuated by Cheney when he privatized the army, as well as Big OIl to the major pushers of foreign policy at the expense of gouging the public, only benefit Wallstreet-NOT Americans.

I was thinking about what you've said about the vote-flipping and Obama. That just adds another reason to have him on as candidate-should the GOp try to steal another-like in 04-or 00,you'd see a HUGE backlash by african-Americans in this country. As I've said I don't believe in accidents-which is why his candidacy is so important.This country has stayed locked in this racism battle for far to long-at the hands of neocons/many GOP. Trying to steal an election would rip the scab off racism-even more so than Katrina did--to expose the ugliness of it to where even those bigots would have to take a good hard look at themselves and thier parties culpability in racism in the US. It would be shining the light in the corners to expose all of the bigotted cockroaches.